Powered reel device for handling cable



Dec. 6, 1966 R. E. WALSH ETAL POWERED REEL DEVICE FOR HANDLING CABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1964 Dec. 6, 1966 R. E. WALSH ETAL POWERED REEL DEVICE FOR HANDLING CABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1964 Dec. 6, 1966 R. E. WALSH ETAL 3,290,013

POWERED REEL DEVICE FOR HANDLING CABLE Filed April 8, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent M 3,290,013 POWERED REEL DEVICE FOR HANDLING CABLE Ralph E. Walsh, Long Branch, and Winfield A. Lakin, Cranford, N.J., assignors to Breeze Corporation, Inc., Union, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 358,211 1 Claim. (Cl. 254190) This invention relates to a powered reel device for handling cable coming from a winch or hoist.

In the operation of a winch or hoist the cable is paid out or reeled in as required by the lifting operation. The cable may be under tension when a load is being raised or may be completely unloaded at other times. In addition, where the hoist is used for aircraft purposes it is sometimes necessary to sever the cable if the load or cable becomes fouled to prevent loss of the aircraft. When the cable is severed under conditions of load a substantial whiplash results which may cause severe injury to personal and to the aircraft.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a reel device for installation between a hoist or winch and the load engaging hook which will control the cable in its motion during all operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reel device which will positively move the cable so that it is under tension at all times with respect to the hoist and thereby prevent slack or kinking.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a powered reel device which will permit easy engagement or removal of the cable without requiring time consuming disassembly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reel device which will prevent the cable from whipping in the event the cable is severed under conditions of load.

An object of the present invention is to provide a powered reel device which will positively drive the cable out of the winch under conditions where there is no load on the cable and in a manner which will prevent slack in the cable between the reel and the winch.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a power driven sheave to control cable movement.

A feature of the present invention is its sheave structure whereby the cable is grasped more firmly as the load increases.

Another feature of the invention is its novel construction which will accept the cable without requiring the cable to be threaded through it from the free end thereof.

A feature of the present invention is its use as a power driven sheave to positively control the cable.

Still another feature of the present invention is its clutch mechanism for maintaining tension between the reel and the winch under all conditions of differential speeds.

A further feature of the present invention is its use of a pressure roller in conjunction with a reel sheave for arresting the travel of the cable through the reel in the event that the cable is severed under load.

A feature of the present invention is its cable guide and guillotine structure which will accept the cable through a side slot for easy threading.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a complete embodiment of the present invention.

3,290,013 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 FIGURE 2 is a view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation of the friction sheave of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE Sis a view in side elevation of the powered reel device taken from the side opposite FIGURE 1 with certain features indicated by dashed lines.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings and specifically to FIG- URES 1 and 2; 10 indicates a powered reel housing formed of two wall-like castings 11, 12. The castings 11, 12 are bored as indicated at 13 to receive a pin 14. The in 14 serves as an axle upon which a sheave 15 is journaled. The sheave 15 extends beyond the housing 10 through an opening between the castings 11, 12 as shown at 16.

A cable 17 is passed over the top of the sheave 15 and is held against the sheave by a lateral spring loaded pressure wheel 18 carried by the housing 10. The cable, after it passes the pressure wheel, is vertically disposed and leaves the housing 10 through a guide 19. The guide is provided with a bell shaped bore 20 therein to minimize cable wear.

A cable severing device 21 hereinafter referred to as a guillotine is carried by the housing 10 between the pressure wheel 18 and the guide 19. The guillotine 21 receives the cable 17 therethrough and is adapted to sever the cable in an emergency in a hereinafter more fully described manner.

The sheave 15, best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 consists of a wheel shaped body 22 having spaced peripheral flanges 23 thereon. The flanges 23 provide a cable receiving groove 24 therebetween. A series of transverse holes 25 are provided in the body 22 of the sheave 15. The holes 25 are equally spaced from the periphery of the sheave and communicate with the groove 24. Resilient inserts 26 in the nature of plugs are secured within each of the holes 25. The inserts 26 are formed with a cable receiving recess 27 which is disposed in the groove 24. When a load is secured to the cable 17, the pressure on the bottom of the recess 27 beneath the cable will cause the resilient inserts to deform inwardly and wrap more tightly around the cable, thereby increasing the frictional contact on the cable.

The sheave 15 is driven by a motor 28 best shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. The output shaft 29 of the motor 28 has a small spur gear 30 attached thereto. The spur gear 30 meshes with a second stage of gearing 40 and 41 which in turn is in mesh with a large driven gear 31 which rides freely upon a ring 32 secured to the sheave 15 to studs 33. A clutch 34 is located between the driven gear 31 and the sheave 15 whereby motion imparted to the gear 31 by the motor 28 is transmitted to the sheave 15.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the guillotine 21 has a cylindrical housing 42 which is horizontally carried by the housing castings 11, 12. The housing 42 has an axial bore 35 within which there is slideably carried cable severing blade 36. The blade 36 is driven by the expanding gas from a cartridge which may be fired in an emergency by means well known in the art. The guillotine housing 42 is also provided with a lateral bore 37, normal to the bore 35 and communicating therewith. The lateral bore 35 is elongated and permits the cable 17 to be slipped through the guillotine from the side thereof without threading the end of the cable through the said guillotine.

A similar lateral bore 37 is cut into the guide 19. The

bore 37 communicates with the cable guiding bore 20 and makes it possible to slip the cable into the bore 20 from the side of the guide. A small roller member 38 which is held in place by a spring loaded ball bearing 39 holds the cable 17 within the guide bore 20 after insertion.

Placing the cable 17 upon the sheave 15 is also a simple operation by reason of the structure of the present invention. The pin 14 is pulled from the bores 13 and out of the sheave 15. The sheave is thus free of the housing 10. The cable 17 can then be slipped into the groove 24 and the sheave replaced by reinserting the pin 14. The hook or other load engaging member (not shown) which may be attached to the free end of the cable 17 need not be disturbed in order to engage the cable by the present device.

The operation of the powered reel will be apparent from the foregoing description. When it is desired to pay out cable, the motor 28 is started. Since the speed of the motor 28 exceeds the speed of the winch or hoist cable drum, a constant tension is maintained upon the cable 17 between the powered reel and the winch. Even where there is a little or no load on the cable, it will not loosen upon the drum or become kinked. The frictional contact of the sheave on the cable further drives the unloaded cable out of the aircraft.

When the cable is being pulled in, the motor 28 may be deenergized. The frictional contact of the sheave 15 on the cable causes the sheave to rotate which in turn drives the clutch and gear train between the sheave and motor. The resistance of the gear train and motor further serves to maintain tension on the cable between the powered reel and the winch or hoist.

If the cable 17 is suddenly cut, as by operating the guillotine, it will snap back in the direction of the powered reel, however, the pressure wheel 18 and the housing will confine its motion so that it will not pass beyond the powered reel, due to the inertia of the system, thereby protecting the interior of the aircraft and its occupants.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a powered reel device which is positive in operation, compact, easy to put in operation and which will protect persons and structures in the vicinity of a winch or hoist from injury in the event the cable is severed.

Having thus fully described the invention, what, is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A powered reel device for handling cable coming from a storage drum comprising, a housing having an opening therein, a sheave journaled within the housing, a pin carried by the housing to support the sheave, said pin being axially slideable with respect to the housing to release the sheave whereby the sheave and cable can be removed from the housing through the opening, a pressure wheel adjacent the sheave to keep the cable in contact with the sheave, a cable guide carried by the housing below the pressure wheel, a bell shaped bore in said cable guide, a lateral slot in the cable guide in communication with said bore whereby the cable can be slipped into the bore at any point along the cable length, a roller adjacent the lateral slot to keep the cable within the bell shaped bore power means to drive the sheave, and

a clutch between the sheave and the power means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 996,803 7/1911 Schnoor 254-190 1,547,938 7/1925 Miller 254-190 1,73 8,573 12/1929 Goodspeed 254-] 1,790,752 2/1931 Kaiser 254- 1,907,345 5/1933 Cornish 254-190 2,213,228 9/1940 Provost 254-192 2,362,531 11/1944 Berger 254-190 2,695,086 11/1954 Parker 254-187 2,756,947 7/ 1956 Arnold. 2,872,130 2/1959 Nardone 254-175.7 2,896,911 7/1959 Carpenter 254-187 2,947,516 8/1960 Jackson 254-190 FOREIGN PATENTS 691,626 3/1930 France.

883,632 7/ 1953 Germany.

895,411 5/1962 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

